Archiv
CW 05 2003
27.01. - 02.02.2003
The week takes its usual course with the weekends highlights being the procession
on Sunday and the "Gauchita", a parade with more than 700 horses,
on Saturday. In general, horses have quite a status here and, for example,
some people take pleasure in riding through town a little in the evenings.
Even though Cartagena is a rather modern town horse-carriages and donkey-carts
are seen quite often.
| Together with a few local friends I rent a carriage on Saturday morning, so we can be right with the "Gauchita", not just standing at the side of the road. We meet the coachman in a part of town called Bocagrande at 3pm and drive to the gathering point. Many of the riders are still busy getting their saddles - some of them are made very artfully - and accessories onto their horses. Some even carry saddlebags that were converted to music boxes. At 4pm we take off, accompanied by police on horseback and a general good mood. |  |
The huge procession leads through the whole townand was supposed to end at the foot of "Sero de la Popa" at 7pm. |
But, since the riders consumed quite a bit of alcohol, the first have already arrived while others are still having fun in town. |
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On Sunday afternoon - the day of the "Fiesta de Candelavia"
- it's unfortunately still quite misty, so I can't get any good pictures
of the "Sero de la Popa" and the view of the bay of Cartagena
today either. Oh well, I'll still be here for a while. But, the procession leading down the hill is very impressive. A huge crowd is following the statue of a saint. |
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The people carrying the statue take turns since everybody wants to
honor of carrying it. The many candles that were donated seem to disintegrate
a little in the heat and, in front of the stone statue of another saint,
a fire starts, but is quickly extinguished. BILD TOM |
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